Laptop/Airport vs. NAD C521BEE?

[stupidcl]

Hi everyone!

Quick question. I currently play CDs on my Apple Powerbook's superdrive. I stream them via Airport Express, through a Channel Islands DAC. The sound is decent, but I'm looking for more.

Would a player such as the NAD C521BEE be an upgrade in sound over my current setup? I'm curious how the superdrive/airport/DAC combo compares to a mid-line CD player like the NAD.

The rest of my system is: B&W 601 speakers, a NAD C320BEE amp, and kimber interconnects. Thanks for any advice!

Best,
Clay

 

[stupidcl]

Anyone?

Would I be better off putting the $300 towards nice speaker wire, like Kimber 8TC? Currently I'm just using the mid-line Monster stuff.

 

[markw]

dunno about your initial post. Only thing vaguely familiar was the NAD reference.

But, expecting changes by throwing more money into expensive wires is a fool's errand.

 

[twoksl2]

i do a similar thing except i use wired instead of wireless, i think that you are going to see an improvement in sound using a dedicated CD transport, computers are not known for their sound quality for playback. although i also use apple's and have been VERY impressed with their quality.

 

[jaxvon]

If you were using the analog output on your Powerbook I would say that you could get better sound out of a dedicated player. Seeing how you are outputting a completely digital stream, the sound you hear is only affected by the DAC. You should also not have an issue with packet loss. Wireless systems are very good.

So, to be brief, no. If you are unsatisfied with the sound, look into your room's acoustics, the flatness of your freqency response (affected by acoustics), and finally, think about a different DAC. The DAC should be last, as it will affect your sound much less than the speakers (I assume you like your B&Ws) and the acoustics. An all-out purchase would be a Benchmark DAC, but it is also an expensive piece (~$900). You would be better off purchasing a device like the Behringer DCX2496 to help smooth out your frequency response.